July 2012, MacMillan, 288 pages, Paperback, Review copy
Themes: World War
1, child abuse, friendly teacher, one lonely boy, bonds between animals and
owners, taking care of others, heartbreak, strangeness of grief, joining the
military, receiving favours, frustration, keeping the goal in mind, the
brutality of warfare, making mistakes, lost and found, courage and spirit,
Content: moderate
to strong warfare atmosphere, a few in depth details about the wounded/dead,
several tissues needed
Summary from MacMillan
Stanley's dad hasn't been the same since his
wife died and his eldest son went off to fight in the war. Now Stanley
is either invisible to his dad or the object of one of his rages, and
his only friend is his dad's prizewinning greyhound, Rocket. But one day
Rocket escapes, and the result is a litter of non-thoroughbred puppies
that Da says will all have to be drowned, even Stanley's favourite
puppy, Solider. Stanley is so angry with his father that he runs away
and enlists in the army to train as a messenger dog handler, and despite
being far too young he's soon heading to France with a great Dane
called Bones by his side.
As
the fighting escalates and Stanley experiences the horrors of war, he
comes to realise that the loyalty of his dog is the one thing he can
rely on. But his father hasn't given up on him, and extraordinary
circumstances will bring them together once more . . .
Nayuleska's thoughts
Heartache
was a major theme throughout the book - at each life changing moment Stanley's
emotions were heartbreaking to read about. As an owner of a devoted cat I
appreciated the anguish Stanley went through when various events happened to
the dogs he was attached to. I think his suffering was enhanced because of his
age. I found it amusing how the military got around the issue of Stanley's
height, weight and age, as well as the way his comrades rallied round when he
needed them the most. Although he felt alone, there was always someone or some
dog supporting him, which for me lightened the gravity of the story's setting.
Ordinarily I'm not reading such grim stories but I was pulled in by the animals
of this book and the latest one, A Horse
Called Hero, and I'm glad I read it.
Suggested
read
For more
wartime stories check out Sam's next book, A Horse Called Hero.
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